I Will Never Look Away
by x.kittycat.x
Summary: He didn't mean to hurt her. He didn't mean to hide from her, or to isolate himself, but he felt like he had no choice. If she knew what he so desperately needed her to know, she'd ignore him, look away, run. So he hid. Because the one person he didn't want to lose was Tori.
1. Chapter 1

****Disclaimer- I do not own Victorious or any of the characters in Victorious. Just the plot;)**

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Chapter 1:

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"Cat!"

Tori Vega slowed as she breathlessly approached her red-headed friend. "Oh, hey, Tori!" Cat giggled, her voice high and light as always. "What's up?"

Tori pulled in her breath sharply, willing herself to calm down so she could speak. "Have you seen André?"

"Nooo...oh, my gosh, did someone kidnap him?!"

"Ca-at! You were there! He ran out of Improv Speech, like, he just got up and left in the middle of class, remember? I can't find him anywhere."

"Oh, yeeaahh, that's terrible. One time, my brother threw a baseball bat at his teacher, and then-"

"CAT!"

"What?!"

"Focus!" "I'm sorry! Don't hate me!" "Wha-I love you, just, please...have you seen André?" "Uh-uh. Want me to help you look?"

Tori sighed. "No, that's okay. Just keep an eye out for him, and text me if you see him, will you?" "KK!" The red-head exclaimed cheerfully. Tori turned and took about two strides—

"Oh, Tori?"

She spun around. "Yes, Cat?"

"One time, my brother hid inside a bulldozer, and then, he got dirt dumped all over him, and-" Cat began to giggle, "-and I thought he was a dust monster!" Tori rolled her eyes. "Cat, what does this...you think André is hiding inside of a BULLDOZER?"

"No, of course not!" Cat looked positively shocked. "Why would he do that?!"

Tori let out an exasperated huff. "Good-BYE, Cat."

"Byyeee!" Her little red-headed friend called after her. Tori spun around and ran down the hallway.

*Flashback*

"Alright, sea monkeys, today, we are going to do exactly what this class says to do." Sikowitz stood in front of his students, staring pointedly at them, sipping from yet another coconut.

"Oohh, are we gonna make oragami cranes?" Cat giggled. "What sound does a crane even make, you guys?" "A crane?" Jade West repeated skeptically. "Oh, dear, darling Cat, everyone knows that a crane goes-" Jade then proceeded to make a sound similar to a constipated cow/hyena giving birth.

Cat's blue eyes widened. "Really?!" "NO, Einstein," Jade shot back. "Cranes don't make a sound. Their vocal chords were snapped up and ripped out by she-zombies." Cat's mouth dropped open. "LalalalaLALALALAAALAAAA..." She began to sing in an effort to drown out Jade's sick reasoning.

"E'rybody just shut up, PLEASE!" André shot up out of his chair. Cat stopped mid-"la", and cocked her head, considering her tall friend with the dreads. "I cayn't do this today! Ohh..." André sank back down and put his head in his hands. Tori furrowed her brow and studied him, trying to get him to look at her, but André wouldn't meet her gaze.

"ALRIGHT! Thank you, André!" Sikowitz clapped his hands. "NOW, as I was saying, you bunch are going to get to give improv speeches!" Robbie's hand shot up. "You will NOT be choosing your topics, hence the word "improv", my brilliant little masterminds," Sikowitz added, looking pointedly at Robbie. Robbie's face reddened, and he slowly pulled his hand down out of the air. "So, without further delay...Sinjin! Pick a topic for...hmmm..."

Sikowitz scanned the room, looking every student in the eye, making them squirm and sink back in their chairs in turn...well, all except Jade, who glared at Sikowitz, daring him to do or say anything, until, intimidated, he broke eye contact. "Let's haaave...André!" André's head shot up. "Say what?!" "I'm supposed to pick a topic for you to do your improv speech on." Sinjin explained sympathetically.

"Ooh!" Cat exclaimed. "One time, my brother slapped this kid whose dad was a politician-"

"CAT!" the whole room yelled unanimously. "No one cares about anything your brother has ever done! At all!" Jade added as an after statement.

"But that gives me an idea, though!" Sinjin said. "André, your topic is: Hitting children...just child abuse in general." "But, wait, isn't that two topics sort of derived into one?" Robbie wondered. Jade then took it upon herself to grab Beck's backpack and fling it over her head, smacking Robbie in the head and knocking him off his chair. "Babe!" Beck exclaimed. "I just bought that. I don't want his blood all over-" "Blood is my FAVORITE." Jade interrupted.

"Ooookaaaay, guys, let's let André do his speech." Tori wisely intervened. "Ah, yes! André! The stage is all yours." Sikowitz stepped down from the stage and the students applauded half-heartedly, but André didn't move. He didn't look up. He just stared at his hands, which were slightly trembling.

"André?" Tori reached over and tapped his arm-and André swung his arm around, smacking Tori in the face.

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Ooh, what's going on with André, guys? Review! Constructive criticism appreciated:) Stay tuned for chapter 2! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you soooo much for your reviews, everyone! Some of you added me and/or my story to your subscription list or your favorites...and omg, I was just shocked! XD Thanks so much! This site is soooo confusing…but anyhow, here's chapter two:

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****Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious, or any of the characters in Victorious. Just the plot:)**

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Tori gasped in pain, tears gathered in her eyes, and her hand flew to her cheek where André had slapped her. Students murmured. Jade's eyes widened, and she raised her eyebrows. Beck and Robbie lept to their feet, and Cat gaped at Tori, then at André, then back to Tori, her mouth hanging wide open.

"Dude!" Robbie exclaimed. "What was that?!" Beck demanded angrily. "Do it again," Jade added. "Jade!" Beck reprimanded. "This isn't funny!" "Ehh, I thought it was," Jade shot back. "Everybody QUIET!" Sikowitz bellowed from the stage. The hubbub stopped immediately. No one had noticed that Sikowitz had pulled a chair onstage and was now standing on said chair.

André's eyes were wide, and he was staring at Tori as though he had never seen her before. "André..." Tori's voice was just above a whisper, "André, what is wrong, and why did you hit me?" André just shook his head, first slowly, and then faster. He then stood up, grabbed his backpack, and ran out of the room. "Where are you...ANDRÉ!" Tori called after him, but it was no use. "Aaand he's gone."

*End flashback*

It was time for lunch, but Tori didn't care. She was GOING to find André. She rounded a corner and took off down the hallway, glancing into classrooms as she went. She was still in shock from the morning's previous events.

After André had run out, everyone-including Sikowitz-had drilled her on EVERYTHING she may had done over the past two weeks to make André mad...but no one could come up with anything. They all knew that Tori was André's very best friend...and that, Tori thought grimly, just made it worse. She wasn't angry, not really...just sad. And worried about André. She hadn't seen this side of him...ever? And that scared her. What the heck was going on with that kid?

She rounded another corner and was about to head down the stairs...and then stopped, because sitting on the bottom step was Cat. And sitting next to her, wrapped in her arms, his head on her shoulder...was André.

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Tori took the steps two at a time, almost falling over her own feet in an effort to get to her friends. Once she reached the landing, she stood in front of André and Cat. André jerked up his head up at seeing her, and he dropped his gaze immediately, but not before visibly shrinking back...AWAY from Tori.

"Oh, hey, Tori," Cat smiled up at her friend. "Guess what?" "What?" "I found André!" Cat gave a little giggle. Tori tried hard to smile. "I see that, Cat. Good for you." "Hey, you made a rhyme! That, Cat...omgeeee!" "Huh, yeeaahh...um, Cat?" "Yes, Tori?"

Tori knelt in front of her red-headed friend and placed her elbows on Cat's knees. "Can you let me have some time alone with André, right now? I need to ask him about some stuff." "Ooohhh, you mean why he slapped you?" Cat grinned. Tori grit her teeth. "Mmhm, that's right, Cat. Run along now, thank you..." "Kk, byyeee!" And Cat skipped away, leaving Tori alone with André. She sat down on the step next to him, and tentatively, carefully, took one of his hands in both of hers. He made no move to stop her.

"André," she started. "I want you to look at me." He glanced up at her, meeting her eyes for a brief second, then looked right back down, suddenly extremely interested in the checked pattern on his shoes. "Uh-uh," Tori shook her head, then said firmly, "André, LOOK at me. Look at my eyes. Look straight at me." Nothing. "I'm being serious. I need you to-"

"I can't." He spoke so softly she had to lean forward to try to hear him. "What?" "I SAID, I can't." His voice was shaky and unsteady. Tori squeezed his hand. "Why not?" She waited a long time, and when he didn't answer..."André." Then, just like she did with Cat, she stood up, still holding his hand, and knelt in front of him, folding her arms on his knees and leaning forward so she could look him in the eyes. She took a deep breath.

"I'm not gonna give up on this. And I am NOT going to leave you alone until you look at me." "I already told you, I CAN'T!" André insisted. "And why not?" Tori demanded. For another brief moment, André's eyes met hers. "Because I HURT you." His voice broke, and a single tear traced down his cheek. "I GAVE you that mark-" He stopped, unable to go on.

And sitting there on the bottom step, André pulled his hand from Tori's, leaned into his arms, and cried.

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Awww:( And just btw, the only romantic pairing in this story is Bade...sorry, guys;) Revieeewww! Tell me if there's anything I need to improve on/change/do more of! Sorry this chapter didn't give more of an explaination of WHY Andre hit her, but I'm working on it! Stay tuned for chapter 3;)


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for your reviews, everyone! :) Here's chapter 3:

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"André...aww. André, please don't cry..."

Tori sat down next to her friend and put her arm around him, pulling him close to her. André leaned his head on Tori's shoulder and tried to be as stoic as possible-as stoic as one can be after completely breaking down-and covered his face with his hand. Tori couldn't believe it.

André was her friend who had it all together, the one who was always happy, the one who always had a song to sing. She didn't think she had seen André this distraught since...since his little sister had been diagnosed with leukemia. But his sister had long since gone into remission. André hadn't mentioned a thing about 9 year old Alayna since he came flying into school about a year before and announced to the world that she was in remission...was that it? Was it Alayna? Or was he stressed over the big Advanced Chorus project they had due on Thursday? Did he just hate public speaking? Did something happen before he came to school? One way to find out...

"Hey?" "Mhm?" He mumbled, still very much in tears. Tori reached out and smoothed his chocolate-brown hair out of his face. Then, she reached for the hand that André was covering his face with and gently took it, pulling it away. André quickly wiped his eyes with the sleeve on his free arm, then glanced at Tori hesitantly...and this time he didn't look away.

"André...I'm Tori," she said softly, trying to plan out what to say to him that would get him to open up to her-not pull away. "You know me. I'm the one that you sing for, when you want an honest opinion about what you write. You're my best friend. You're the one who helped me to get here. You're the one who told me that I belong at this school. You've always been the one that I feel the most comfortable talking to, more than anyone else. You're the one that I sing with. I LOVE singing with you." Tori gave a small laugh.

"Remember when we snuck into the keyboard room, and just stayed there for the entire class period? Remember? That's where we figured out the harmonies for "Tell Me That You Love Me." "We," André gulped, "We got in so much trouble," He gave a watery chuckle. Tori laughed. "Yeah, we did. Do you remember what you said, as we were heading to detention?" André shook his head. "You said, 'I don't even care. Music is always worth the risk.' And, André...you're always willing to do anything for me, anything I need.

Remember, the other day, I was like, 'oohh, they're selling smoothies!' Right away, you asked me, 'what kind do you want?' Dude, you're always doing stuff for me, buying me stuff, singing me songs, sketching me signs for my locker, complementing me on just about everything I do..." Here, Tori grew serious, reaching her free hand up to wipe away a stray tear that was slowly cascading down André's cheek.

"And that's why, I don't believe, not in a million years, that you would ever hurt me intentionally. Am I right?" André nodded fervently, too choked up to speak. "I'm curious as to why you hit me." André's eyes widened, and he sucked in his breath. "Not because I'm angry about it," Tori said quickly, "but because there's something going on with you that you're not telling me. I know that asking you outright what it is, that doesn't work. You don't do that. It's just not how you do. Soooo...I'd like to start with that smack in the face you so graciously handed me in Improv." Tori gave André a little smile.

He stared at his shoes for a long time, then looked at her, then glanced at the wall, then looked towards the lockers for a while, then back at Tori, then down..."André." She spoke his name firmly. "Stop. Look at ME." It took a minute, but he finally met her eyes. "It's okay," Tori murmured, "I promise. I'm not gonna think of you any differently, and I will never judge you. You can talk to me. Hey," she smoothed his hair back again and gave him a reassuring smile, "I'm Tori."

André gave a shaky sigh, and then gave Tori a small, sheepish grin. "I'm sure this was kinda awkward for you..." Tori rolled her eyes. "Aw, André! Don't even start. You know I could care less. You're my best friend." "I know! I know."

André ran his hand through his hair. "That's the point. You're my best friend. And I HAD to turn around and-" He picked at his jeans, and then turned towards her, his eyes full of sadness, fear, and remorse. "Tori...I...I'm sorry, I..." She put her hand on his knee and squeezed, willing him to continue. "I made a mistake. I should NEVER have hit you, I will do WHATEVER it takes to make it up to you, I can't...I just...I can't believe I HURT you. You're YOU. I can't...I just don't...Oohh..." André rubbed his temple. "I...I don't know WHY I hit you. It was just...a reflex, I guess. I was kinda tensed, anyhow, and then when you touched my arm, I kinda, like, jumped, you know?"

Tori nodded slowly. "I don't have anything against you, I don't have any reason to. I feel like a jerk..." He trailed off and glanced sideways at Tori, carefully. Her head was cocked slightly to the side, and she was studying him intently as he talked. "I'm so sorry. I hate it that I hurt you. I don't get how you're sitting here right now, cuz if I were you, I'd hate me...dang it, I already do-"

"Noooo! No, no no, no, NO! Andraayy..." She smacked him in the back of the head. It didn't hurt; there was way too much hair back there, but it got his attention. "Dude," She continued. "I don't want you to hate yourself, okay? Not for one MINUTE. I don't hate you at all, I can promise you that right now. You made a mistake, you admit that. Do you hear me?" André nodded, suddenly too choked up to speak.

"Hey..." Tori put her arm around him, seeing how upset he was. "It's okay. If you say you didn't mean to, then I believe you. And I forgive you. Don't think about it now, okay?" He nodded again, tears slipping down his face. "Ooohhh, André..." Tori absentmindedly ran her fingers through his hair. What was going ON with him?

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Tori sat with André for a long time, the two of them together, not saying a word. Eventually, she pulled out her PearPhone and saw that there were only about 2 minutes until lunch was over.

"André?" She asked softly. He pulled away from her and sat up, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He looked at her. "Yeah?" Tori sighed. "Is there anything that's bothering you? I mean, like, other than what happened earlier? Cuz, I feel like you've been off all day. You're not...I dunno, you're just not YOU. You're not happy-"

"Naw, naw, nothing's wrong, I promise. I'm just kinda tired, you know? Didn't get much sleep last night, lots of homework."

"The only homework we had last night was to research a genre of music and an example of a song relating to that genre," Tori answered. "Unless you're behind?"

"Naw, naw, I'm not...it's nothing, okay? I'm fine, Tori. I swear! Okay?" André had gone visibly pale since Tori had asked him what was going on, and now, he looked like he was about to throw up. "Ookaayy, if you say so."

"Thank you!" André stood up and began to gather his belongings as students began to fill the hallways of Hollywood Arts. Tori stood, too, and once André had his things all together, he turned to look at her, and before he knew it, she had enveloped him in a hug.

"Don't forget that you can talk to me, okay?" She said into his ear. The two pulled away. Then Tori flashed her brilliant smile at him, then turned and walked away. And André vowed that day that he would NEVER give her any reason to worry. Because the one person he couldn't lose was Tori...

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DUN DUN DUNNN! Sorry for the sucky ending to the chapter, guys...I guess just the sucky chapter in general. I feel like I wrote a whole lot of nothing...but what the heck do you think is going on with André? Do you believe that he's fine? And do you guys PLEASE TELL ME whether or not I made him too emotional? Revieeww! Chapter 4 coming soooon:)


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Thanks for all your reviews/feedback! It has come to my understanding that a lot of you don't like all the fluffy Tori/André stuff...so I'll try to tone it down a bit:) Thanks to guest "insertsnamehere' for the grammar feedback and whatnot! I appreciate it muchly;) This next chapter is gonna be pretty angsty as we are finally going to find out what has been causing André's unhappiness...here's chapter 4: (p.s. Imagine Skai Jackson as Alayna;)**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious, or any of the characters in Victorious. Just Alayna Harris, David Harris, and the plot;)**

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André parked his car and walked up the driveway and into his house. "I'm ho-ome!" He shut the door behind him, then went into the kitchen and grabbed an apple off the counter, ripping a huge chunk out of it as he sat down on the couch and opened up his laptop.

He was about to type in the password so he could log on, when small hands covered his eyes, preventing him from doing so.

"Guess who?" A small voice giggled.

"Aaahhh...man, I dunno!"

"Guess!" The person urged him.

"Uuhhh...Nicki Minaj?" The person burst out laughing.

"No-ooo! Try again!"

"Ummm..." André hit his forehead, pretending to think very hard. "Sinjin?"

"Nooo, stupid!"

"Who you callin' stupid?" André pulled the person's hands away from his face.

"You, dummy!"

André stood up and walked around the couch to where his baby sister stood, grinning from ear. He fell on his knees and grabbed Alayna, pulling her into his lap and tickling her until she was gigging hysterically and begging, "Okay, okay! Mercy! Mercy!"

Then, he stopped and looked down at her. "You gonna hurt my feelings like that again?"

"No, André!" She stood up and ran a little ways away from him. "But you're still a dummy!"

"Say WHAT now?!" André chased Alayna around the living room and was about to grab her when the front door opened opened roughly, slamming into the wall with a BANG! André jumped and Alayna gasped.

"Wha' ah y'all lookin' ay?" Their father, David, came staggering in. One look at him, and André could tell he had been drinking. A LOT.

"Hi...hi, daddy," Alayna said softly, inching closer to André. He put a protective arm around her.

"Layna!" David yelled. "Din' ah tell you not ta leave your room?!"

"But I had school today, daddy," Alayna answered quietly. "I went right back when I came home, but then André came home, and I wanted to say hi, and-"

"Er you talkin' back at me?!" He demanded, eyes wild.

"Yes, sir."

André shook his head rapidly at Alayna, trying to indicate that that was the wrong answer.

"I mean-" Alayna started, but it was too late.

In one swift movement, David grabbed Alayna, swinging her around and smacking her into the wall. She screamed, fell to the floor, and started to cry.

"DAD!" André yelled, rushing at his father, trying to knock him down, away from his sister. He put his hands on his father's shoulders, but David was stronger. He slapped André hard in the face, then in the side of the head, shoving him to the ground.

"Don' EVER fight me!" David screamed in André's face. André put his hand to his face and winced, seeing blood on his hand as he pulled it away. "And YOU!"

David strode over to Alayna, yanking her up by the front of her jacket. The little girl screamed and cried even harder, shaking with terror. "You DO AS YOU'RE TOLD!" He slapped Alayna hard in the side of the head, then shoved her down. She sobbed, clutching the side of her face, and backed up against the wall as if to disappear into it. "You both needa learn ta obey me..." David muttered, going to the porch screen door and opening it. And then he walked out and shut it, and André sat up and moved towards his baby sister.

"Layna bug?! Are you okay?!" She wailed and stretched out her arms to him. He reached for her, pulling into his arms and off the floor.

"Andraaayy," she sobbed as she clung to him. "What...wha...what di...did...wha' did I do baaad?!"

"Shhh, sweetheart, you didn't do anything wrong. Neither did I. Dad...Daddy's not feeling good. I'm so, so sorry I didn't keep him away from you. I'm so sorry he hurt you. I'm sorry, Alayna. Shhh..." He hugged his shaking little sister tighter.

"Daddy hates meeee!" She wailed.

"Shhh, no, Daddy does not hate you. Remember what I said? Daddy doesn't feel good right now, and sometimes, when a person is hurting, and is feeling really, really bad, they hurt other people, because they think it'll make they'selves feel better. That's what Daddy did. It's not your fault he hurt you."

It's mine, he thought, silently. I shoulda brought her upstairs the minute he came home. I'm so f****** stupid...she may still have cancer for all I know! I'm so stupid, I shoulda done better-

"André?!"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I think imma throw up!" she cried frantically.

"Uh, okay, okay..." André picked her up and she circled her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.

"...don't feel good..." She moaned.

"I know, honey, almost there..." André quickly brought his sister upstairs and into the bathroom. Alayna stumbled to the toilet, and André held her hair back as she threw up. He rubbed her back, and as she finished, she gasped, "Can I have water?"

"Yeah, yeah, hang on, Layna, I'll run and get it." He found a stray ponytail holder and pulled her thick hair behind her head, tying it back.

"I'll be right back," he reassured her. André jogged out of the bathroom and across the hall to the laundry room, where a 24 pack of water bottles was sitting against the wall. He tore one out of the plastic binding, then ran back into the bathroom and handed it to Alayna. She drank half the bottle, then set it on the counter and leaned against André.

"I'm tired. And my face hurts..." André bent down next to her.

"Can I see?" She nodded. André gently turned her face to the side and quickly saw that the spot where David hit her was beginning to bruise.

"That looks like it hurts quite a bit, Layna bug...I'm so, so sorry..."

"It's okay, André." She slipped her small hand into his. "Like you said, it's not our faults."

"Yeah, you're right, sweetheart. Do you want some ice?"Alayna shook her head and looked up her older brother, her big brown eyes filling with tears.

"I just want Daddy to love me again." She burst into tears, and André pulled her into a big hug.

"Shhh, baby girl," he kissed the top of her head, tears filling his eyes and slipping down his face. "Everything's gonna be alright. It's okay, shhh, it's okay...it's gonna be just fine..."

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**Well...now you guys know:( Sorry this chapter was so short and sad, but I warned you:P What did you think? Revieeewww! Stay tuned for chapter 5 :)**


	5. Author's NoteHELP!

**Guys, I'm stuck:( I don't know how to keep going from here. I'm experiencing MAJOR writer's block right now, and I could really use help/suggestions/prompts? PM me if you think you could help! I'd REALLY appreciate it:) Sorry this wasn't a real chapter:P**


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